How Tori Spelling Lost All Her Money… Sort Of

If this one has you scratching your head, you're not alone. Actress and reality star Tori Spelling, daughter of the late, mega-rich TV producer Aaron Spelling, is living on a budget.

Her financial troubles started back in 2011, when she and her husband, Dean McDermott, sold their Encino mansion at a loss. Shortly thereafter, her retail space, InvenTORI, failed to turn the profit she'd hoped. Then in 2012, she suffered a serious medical condition related to her last pregnancy and spent a whopping 55 days in the hospital, where she was unable to work. And just around the time she finally returned home, she learned that their reality show, "Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood," had been axed. In other words, it's been a rough go for the Spelling-McDermott household lately.

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Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott (Getty Images)

While Tori insists they're not (completely) broke, she does admit that Dean bypassed getting the vasectomy he wanted because their business manager told them they simply couldn't afford it. Yikes. Apparently having four kids, spending almost two months on bed rest, and not being able to work can catch up to even Hollywood royalty.

Spelling isn't pointing all the fingers elsewhere though. She recognizes that she must shoulder some of the blame for her family's financial problems.

"I grew up rich beyond anyone's dreams. I never knew anything else. Even when I try to embrace a simpler lifestyle I can't seem to let go of my expensive tastes," she confesses in the latest issue of People magazine. "And then there's my shopping problem. I've bought ridiculous amounts of stuff for the kids, clothing, toys, crafts."

Despite these harsh realities, however, Tori seems unfazed. "We're in the entertainment business, and things change year to year," she explains. "We don't have a series on the air right now, so we have to be more restrictive of what we can spend, just like anyone who doesn't currently have a steady job."

But, not to worry, there have been significant cutbacks. "I haven't bought a purse in three years, and it's fine," she says, also sharing that her kids are wearing hand-me-down clothes from each other. "I look back at that girl who shopped at Gucci in my 20s, and I can't even relate. I can't believe I thought it was important."

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Tori and Candy Spelling (WireImage)

Her priority now isn't fashion, but her family, and, more specifically, her kids. Unlike her often frosty relationship with her own mother — Candy Spelling reportedly froze Tori out of her inheritance when Aaron died — Tori seems determined to forge a lasting bond with her children. "I see a 20-year-old girl walking down the street with her mom holding hands, and I'm like, 'I want to be that!'" she exclaims.

We couldn't help but notice that Tori seemingly made peace with her mom right around the same time that her money woes began. Still, she's quick to mention that her mother "does not financially pay for anything."

"I work really hard and there are certain things I want to give my kids. Like a big kick-a-- farm!" she declares. "We've had lows, but I set goals and I keep going. I always bank on myself."

While she certainly faces challenges ahead, something tells us if there's anyone who can turn the tides of fortune, it's Tori.